chapter 19

Chapter 19: Sparks and Silent Eyes

The smell of hot oil, rusted iron, and burning rubber filled the dark back bay.

Derrick had positioned his heavy diesel shop truck right over the central maintenance pit. Blue welding sparks exploded into the darkness as he worked on the front bumper, his thick leather apron covered in black grease.

I stood near the open hood, holding a heavy flashlight on his work. We had already bolted a massive steel snowplow blade across the front grille to smash through street barricades. Next came the windows.

"We need reinforced steel mesh over the windshield," I said, keeping my voice low over the hum of the portable battery pack. "It needs to offer some protection against bullets from Julian's men while still giving you enough vision to steer through a horde. We'll use steel plates with narrow viewing slits for the side windows."

Derrick lifted his welding mask, wiping a line of sweat from his forehead with the back of his gloved hand.

"I've got three sheets of quarter-inch industrial plate in the back rack. They'll cover the side windows and doors, but this truck is going to weigh a lot more when we're done, Evelyn. The extra armor and fuel will put a serious strain on the suspension and brakes."

"Then we'll check the suspension, tires, and brakes before we leave," I replied. "We have six fifty-gallon drums locked in the armory. We'll load two into the truck bed tonight. That's a hundred gallons of diesel, enough to give us a reserve without overloading the truck with unnecessary weight."

Derrick nodded slowly.

"That makes more sense. As long as the frame can handle the armor and we secure the fuel properly, this monster might get us through."

"We're not waiting for Julian to make the first move," I said. "The moment his men try to breach our front gates, we start the engine and ram our way out through the rear cargo bay."

Derrick glanced at me.

"And if he's already blocked the rear exit?"

"That's why I've been watching the perimeter cameras. The rear access road is still clear, but we'll check it again before we move. If his men block it, we'll have to find another way out."

Derrick gave a slow, grim nod and returned to his work.

Clack.

A soft sound echoed from the shadowed hallway behind the workbench.

Derrick's hand dropped instantly to the heavy pipe wrench resting on his belt. I spun around, flicking my flashlight beam straight into the dark corridor.

Elena flinched, pulling her dirty shawl tight around her shoulders and raising one hand to shield her eyes from the glare. Her young daughter wasn't with her.

"I... I didn't mean to startle you," Elena stammered, her voice shaking slightly as she stepped into the bay light. "I was just looking for a water refill for Lily. She's thirsty."

I kept the flashlight beam leveled at her chest.

"The water dispenser is in the staging room, Elena. You walked right past it to get to the vehicle bay."

Elena swallowed hard, her eyes darting past me to the heavy truck, the steel plow, and the stacks of extra fuel drums sitting near the workshop wall.

"You're... you're building an armored truck," she whispered, her gaze narrowing as she took in the scene. "Are you planning on leaving? Is someone coming here?"

"We are securing our perimeter," I said coldly, stepping between her and the truck to block her view. "And you know the rules. The back bay is off-limits."

"I heard the metal screeching earlier," Elena said, taking a small step closer instead of backing away. Her eyes were wide, filled with a sudden, desperate sharp edge. "I saw the bright floodlights flash on the roof thirty minutes ago. You turned on industrial lights in a dead city. Why would you do that unless you were trying to blind someone out there?"

Derrick set his welding torch down onto the concrete with a heavy, metallic thud. He stepped up beside me, his tall frame looming over her.

"Elena. Go back to your daughter."

"Is it safe here or not?" Elena demanded, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes. "You pulled us off the street and said this place was a fortress! But you're secretly building an escape vehicle! Who is out there? Are the infected coming, or is it something worse?"

She wasn't just a scared mother having a breakdown. She was hyper-alert, picking up on every tactical move we made.

"We are preparing for every scenario," I said, my tone flat and unyielding. "If you want to stay under this roof and eat our food, you stay in the staging area and you don't ask questions about our operations. Do you understand me?"

Elena stared at me for a long, tense moment. The fear in her eyes was real, but beneath it lay something far more dangerous: pure, unpredictable desperation.

"I just want my daughter to live," she whispered softly.

"Then go back to her," I replied. "Because if you walk into this bay uninvited again, I'll have to put you and Lily outside the outer gate. I won't risk everyone's safety because you refuse to follow the rules."

Elena shrank back as if she had been slapped. Without another word, she turned on her heel and hurried back down the dark corridor, her soft footsteps fading into the silence.

Derrick watched the empty doorway for a long moment, then turned back to me, his brow furrowed with deep worry.

"She's terrified, Evelyn," Derrick muttered softly. "She's just trying to protect her kid."

"Fear makes people unpredictable, Derrick," I said, grabbing a heavy box of steel bolts from the shelf. "And unpredictable people get everyone killed. Keep your eyes on her. We finish the window plates tonight."